My Eyes Adored You
by mida212
Summary: The Bouquet Toss. For some, it's a beacon of hope, a silent message to the lucky girl's boyfriend that she's ready and waiting for a ring and a pretty white dress of her own. But for other girls, it's the single most humiliating aspect of a wedding, the point at which her sorry single state is announced to a room full of romance and happy couples. AU.
1. Wedding Bell Blues

**_Disclaimer: Glee is not mine._**

* * *

**_You're just too good to be true  
Can't take my eyes off of you  
You'd be like heaven to touch  
I wanna hold you so much  
At long last love has arrived  
And I thank God I'm alive  
You're just too good to be true  
Can't take my eyes off of you_**

**_Pardon the way that I stare_**  
**_There's nothing else to compare_**  
**_The sight of you leaves me weak  
There are no words left to speak_**  
**_So if you feel like I feel  
Please let me know that it's real_**  
**_You're just too good to be true_**  
**_Can't take my eyes off of you_**

**_-Frankie Valli_**

* * *

Quinn's getting married.

Correction. Quinn's _married_. She and Noah just kissed and he stepped on the glass, so it's a done deal. She's happy for her friend, she really is, which is why she's _thrilled_ to serve as bridesmaid. It's just that Quinn was the last of her single friends, the one Rachel could always count on to go to the bar or hang out and watch girly movies. When Tina had gotten married, it hadn't really affected her since she'd still had Mercedes and Quinn. But then Mercedes had met Shane and Quinn just _had_ to go and join that gym where she'd met Noah. As a result, she'd gained a closet of bridesmaid dresses and lost her girls.

So now it's just her. Only her to get set up by all her married friends who want her to be as happy as they are. In the past few months, she's met Mercedes' coworker who apparently was _just_ perfect for her (he wasn't), Tina's neighbor who like to collect Beanie Babies (enough said) and Quinn's weird cousin John who she makes a mental note to avoid at the reception.

She supposes she's not _totally_ alone since she still has Blaine but it's not the same. She can't exactly talk about her period with Blaine (she learned that the hard way) and although he's all about skin care regimens and looking good, it's not like they can raid each other's closets for outfits on a Saturday night. And going out to a bar or a club is certainly not the same since she has no one to gossip with in the bathroom.

She eyes Blaine sitting in the second row as she slips her arm through the groomsman she's sharing with Tina (Quinn had more girls than Noah did boys and as the resident single of the bridal party, she'd been tacked onto Tina and her husband Mike, further highlighting her singleness) and follows Quinn and Noah down the garden aisle, relieved that Blaine was still single so that they could be each other's dates.

Still, it could be worse. At least Quinn picked out a lovely bridesmaid dress, which can't be said for some of the other bridesmaids dresses currently residing in her closet and waiting to be worn. She takes her place in the receiving line between Mercedes and Tina, smoothing out the indigo tissue taffeta dress, admiring the soft pleats and gathers of the fitted bodice before it flared out at the knee and secretly thinking that she looked the best in it. Her hair is arranged in an amazing updo with just the tight amount of tendrils loose, her makeup is perfect and yet she's the only one without a ring on her finger or even the possibility of getting one in the near future since her date is a gay man.

She pastes a smile on her face as people she doesn't even know automatically tell her how pretty she looks before saying the same thing to Tina. She probably shouldn't have watched _27 Dresses_ the other day, since it's not handsome (single) men telling her how pretty she looks, just married men or men like Noah's gross Uncle Leo, who tells her to save him a dance. She smiles, making a mental note to be in the bathroom for slow dances. Not that she had anyone else to dance with other than Blaine for slow dances, but still. It's a little humiliating to think that no one under 70 wanted to slow dance with her.

She uses her remaining time on the receiving line to scope out the man situation, already knowing from helping Quinn do the seating chart that there weren't going to be too many single men in attendance (but just in case, she does a ring check of each man who meets her fancy).

It's not looking promising.

There's a ringless guy she'd been noticing work his way down the receiving line who had potential, fairly tall with close cropped hair. She'd followed him with interest, mentally planning what she was going to say as he got closer but of course, just as he got to Mercedes, a stupid blonde came out of nowhere and wove her arm through his.

Dejected, she sighs and focuses on greeting people, none of whom she knows or who are interested in knowing her. Females, males over 30 and males with wedding rings only get a customary thanks, while the few single men she sees get a bright smile and possibly a giggle. The exception to that is Quinn's weird cousin John who swoops in for a kiss before she can stop him. Not needing a reminder of the super sloppy kiss he'd bestowed on her at the end of their disastrous date, she manages to get her bouquet up to her face before their lips can meet and he ends up with a mouthful of lilies. Undeterred, he pulls the petals out of his mouth and grins, tossing in a wink and a comment about how he hopes they're at the same table (they're not. She's made sure of it).

Grossed out, she looks to her left and spies another potential single man making his way in line. Just to make sure he knows she's not with John, she takes a step back and adjusts her hair, throwing him a wide smile. A smile that dims when she sees the hand of the brunette next to him, a hand wearing a rather large engagement ring. Luckily, an old woman next to John takes a step towards her, which pushes John onto Tina and thankfully away from her.

She's fine tuning her plan to avoid John (and wondering if she can borrow Tina's engagement ring to fool him) when the line mercifully ends and the photographer grabs them for pictures, which means that her hopes of getting to the liquor in the limo are on hold for the next hour as the group poses for picture after picture.

Pictures with Noah. Pictures with Noah and Quinn. Pictures with just Quinn. Serious pictures. Silly pictures. She smiles through it all, the thought of how she'd have posed the bridal party if it was her wedding buried deep in the back of her mind. Her acting classes really pay off when she's forced to smile and not look humiliated when the photographer announces that he just isn't sure where to place her for the group pictures since everyone else is paired off. After much hemming and hawing, he ultimately decides to stick her on the end behind Mike, highlighting her singleness since Mike's not even facing her, he's facing his wife and holding her bouquet with her.

_Finally_ the photographer announces that he'll meet them at the reception hall, leaving her free to climb into the limo and join Noah's younger brother Jake in breaking open the Champagne. He's already removed his bow tie and cracked open the bubbly when she settles against the seat and she practically throws a glass at him in her effort to get some liquor in her. Jake raises an eyebrow, but she just tells him to shut up and pour.

The cocktail hour is a slight improvement since she can stay with the other resident single of their group, Blaine, while enjoying some really good food and more importantly, an open bar. Uncle Leo is eyeing her across the room (eww) as is John (again, eww) and she spends the hour ignoring them while talking to Blaine about the latest episode of _Downton Abbey _and drinking.

Blaine, aware of her low tolerance for liquor, soon cuts her off but she manages to sneak one more glass of Champagne in once the bridal party is called to assemble for their reception entrance and Noah's grandma comments on how maybe if she was more friendly and not spending time with only the gays, she'd be having a wedding of her own soon. A waiter is passing by with yet another tray of Champagne and she grabs a second glass, ignoring his grandma's poignant stare and comment about how some girls have no morals as she downs the Champagne.

She's gonna need it.

* * *

**_A/N: Super short! I must be sick LOL. But actually, it's only short because I completely cut out Finn's POV, deciding to save it for the next chapter. Rachel's dress is posted on the mida page, if anyone is interested (Www. Mida212fanpage. Tumblr. Com)_**

**_Anyone see any of the hints in there? There were a few :)_**

**_#8 Peyton4life :)_**


	2. From this Moment

_**Disclaimer: Glee is not mine.**_

* * *

_**"There's just so much pressure to have a plus one. Like if you don't, you're damaged or broken."**_

_**– Beauty and the Beast**_

* * *

He's officially a loser.

When he'd filled out the RSVP card for Puck's wedding, it had seemed so far away and he assumed he'd have plenty of time to find a date. But things happened and he just never got around to it, which means he's pulling into the parking lot with Kurt, his _brother,_ as his plus one.

"We're so late," Kurt repeats for probably the hundredth time, fixing his hair in the visor mirror. "We've missed the ceremony and the cocktail hour, we're _that_ late."

"Whose fault is that?" Finn snaps, his eyes looking for the valet.

"I'm not the one who had to have Carole sew my pants because I forgot I ripped the crotch last time I wore them," Kurt retorts. "I don't want to imagine what you were doing when you ripped them but seriously, how do you not take care of that immediately?"

"No, you're just the one who changed suits nineteen times and spent three hours on your hair." He spies the valet and steers the car that way. "And I told you. I ripped them getting out of the car."

"How is that even possible?" He runs a hand over his hair, smoothing out a rogue strand.

"It's possible." He slows the car to a stop as he waves to the valet. "We totally missed the awesome cocktail hour shrimp. I had to text Sam to save me some because you couldn't decide on a stupid suit."

"Well maybe if you had saved the invitation I could have gotten a sense of the theme and dressed accordingly." Satisfied that his hair is ok, he flips the visor back up.

"Why would I need to save the invitation? I work here, remember?" he points out. He's worked at The Belvedere for years as a bartender, downgrading it to a second job once he'd begun his real career as a music teacher. This would actually be the first time he'd ever attended an event here as a guest, which just made it all the more embarrassing that Kurt was his date.

"How do you know the couple again?" Kurt questions as he climbs out of the car.

"I told you. Puck's the new gym teacher at my school. We have lunch at the same time." Finn climbs out himself, nodding to Ryder. "Hey dude. Reception start yet?"

"I think it just did. I heard the DJ making announcements," Ryder responds, slipping into the driver's seat.

"Oh God. It's _such_ a faux pas to arrive after the bride and groom are announced," Kurt gripes, waiting until Finn's put on his suit jacket before he pulls open the door to the catering hall. He makes a beeline for the place card table, grabbing the lone card reading _Mr. Finn Hudson and Guest_ on it. "We're at Table 12."

"Cool." He heads towards the heavy gilded doors to the reception room, waving to Will, the owner and banquet manager. He can hear the sounds of _Love of a Lifetime _coming through the doors and he grins, knowing that means that Puck lost the first dance song battle he'd told Finn about. "I _knew_ there was no way a bride would go for a Led Zeppelin song as a first dance."

"Can we just get inside?" Kurt demands. "I'm dying to see the décor."

"Fine." He pulls open the door enough to slip in unnoticed, already knowing from years of working here where exactly Table 12 would be. He skirts the outer perimeter of the room, careful to avoid the videographer filming Puck and his wife dancing out on the dance floor as he heads to the far side of the room.

"Not bad," Kurt muses as he follows Finn. "The color scheme is done to death but yet it works. I could do without the tacky chair covers though."

"Would you shut up?" he hisses, afraid Puck's relatives or his boss would hear Kurt's criticisms.

"What? Chair covers are _so_ 1989. Plus you can never move your chair with those covers on and the bow doesn't stay in place. They'd have been much better off with-"

"Shut up _now,_" he commands, secretly agreeing with Kurt about the chair covers_. _Puck had already told him that he'd be sitting with other teachers from their school so it's no surprise when he pulls up to the table and sees Puck's fellow gym teacher Shannon Beiste and her husband plus that bitchy art teacher Kitty and her boyfriend. Marley, the English teacher who eats lunch with them and _her _boyfriend are on Kitty's left with Principal Figgins and his wife completing the table save for the two empty chairs between Principal Figgins and Beiste.

Great. Everyone at the table is part of a couple and he's here with _Kurt_, who at the moment is apologizing for being late due to Finn's ripped crotch and the need to have their mother sew it. Mortified at his boss knowing that, he quickly introduces Kurt to the table and take the remaining seat facing the dance floor next to Coach Beiste. His vantage point allows him to see Puck dancing with his bride, various members of the bridal party lined up around the dance floor.

"Hey, Kurt. Look-" He trails off, his smart ass comment about it being a faux pas that Kurt's navy blue suit matches the bridal party forgotten once his eyes fall on one particular member of the bridal party standing quietly on the far side of the dance floor.

Completely forgetting whatever he was going to say to Kurt, he stares, taking in her petite frame and shiny brown hair. Intrigued, he sits up straighter, his eyes now following her every movement as she listens to the DJ invite the rest of the bridal party onto the dance floor. The bridal party starts pairing off and he waits for her to start dancing with one of the groomsman but to his disappointment she doesn't, her smile growing wide when a short man with gelled hair leaves his table to join her.

Damn. Dejected at her having a boyfriend (but not surprised since she's _that_ hot), he leans back in his chair.

"I wish you had told me that they use gold rimmed place settings here," Kurt whispers to him. "Had I known that, I wouldn't have worn my gold cufflinks."

"Huh?" He doesn't bother taking his eyes away from Hot Bridesmaid who's slowly swaying with Gelled Hair, laughing at something he said.

"I match the china!" he hisses. "It's _such_ a faux pas! I'll be the topic of conversation!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" He tears his eyes away from Hot Bridesmaid in annoyance.

"If you had let me crash the weddings here last week like I wanted to, I would have known what the place settings were like and could have adjusted my outfit accordingly." He frowns, pulling the sleeve of his blazer to cover the offending cufflinks. "Now I'm humiliated."

"No one's going to confuse you with a teacup," Finn snaps, annoyed at the fact that Hot Bridesmaid was now resting her head on Gelled Hair's shoulder. "And I _told _you why you couldn't crash. Will doesn't like employees being distracted by friends. Plus, you being worried about looking like a plate is just stupid."

"_Everyone _knows that you shouldn't match the décor," Kurt lectures. "It's Wedding 101."

"Yeah? Wedding 101 say you shouldn't match the bridesmaids either?" he asks, his eyes back on Hot Bridesmaid still slow dancing on the dance floor, although he's pleased to see she's picked her head back up.

"I hate high centerpieces," Kurt gripes, clearly ignoring his dig. "I can't see anything."

Not wanting to hear Kurt whine anymore, he stands. "I'm going to the bar. You want anything?"

"I'd like a white wine," he specifies, craning his neck to try and peer around the floral centerpiece. "But imported, not domestic and only-"

"White wine, got it." He hurries off before Kurt can finish his demands, heading towards the bar he himself usually works. The bridal party has finished dancing and the DJ's made the announcement that the dance floor is officially open, which means that he's fighting traffic as he makes his way across the room.

He's about halfway across when the crowd clears a little and he sees _her._ She's on the arm of the guy with the gelled hair and he can't help but stare as they walk towards each other. She's listening to whatever Gelled Hair is saying but her eyes flicker up to gaze at him just as they pass each other.

She's even prettier up close.

Amazed by her beauty, he can't help but turn around to watch her walk away. He's so mesmerized that he actually doesn't see Karofsky coming past with a tray of drinks and narrowly avoids crashing into him.

"Hey! Watch it, Hudson!" Karofsky cries, rebalancing his tray.

"Sorry." Cheeks flaming, he walks up to the bar, quickly ordering a beer for himself and a white wine for Kurt from Sam. Sam's pretty awesome and produces the shrimp he'd saved for Finn from the cocktail hour, watching with a grin as he dives in, munching happily while he waits for his drinks.

"You working next weekend, dude?" Finn asks between shrimp, hoping Sam says yes since that means he'll be bartending with him; otherwise, it'll be that douche Jesse working with him and that'll make the night _drag_.

"Yeah, Saturday night wedding. You?" He hands Finn the beer and grabs a wine glass, easily filling it with white wine.

He shakes his head. "Friday night. Sweet Sixteen."

Sam gives a sympathetic glance. "Those are the worst."

"Yeah, it's gonna suck because I'm working with..." He trails off since he notices Hot Bridesmaid at the other end of the bar, Gelled Hair annoyingly next to her. Her eyes flicker his way for a moment and he stares, taking in her deep brown eyes which he thinks might be trained on him and the smile slowly blooming on her face? Well, he thinks that just might be for him too.

"God, it's crowded over here."

He turns his head at the voice just in time to see Marley place a hand on his arm as she squeezes though the crowd. "Huh?"

"I just wanted a white wine. I didn't realize it'd be so hard to get to the bar." She stares up at him, not bothering to remove her hand from his arm as someone elbows her from behind.

"Oh. I'll get it for you," he offers. "I have to get Kurt one anyway."

"Are you sure?" She stares up at him, her hand still on his arm.

"Yeah, it's no problem. Shrimp?" He holds the plate out enticingly.

"Sure." She grabs one, swirling it in the cocktail sauce for a moment before she pulls it out and begins to bring it to her mouth. A jab from behind causes her to lose her balance and she stumbles into Finn, smooshing the cocktail sauce covered shrimp against his shirt. "Oh! I'm so sorry!"

"It's ok, it's a dark shirt," he assures her, but Marley's already procured a napkin and is dabbing at the spot, her free hand on his chest as she works.

"I can't believe I did this," she apologizes, still dabbing furiously even as she gets elbowed again.

"You can go back to the table. It's probably safer," he replies with a grin.

"Let me just get this spot." She gives a final dab and stares at his shirt, running a critical eye over it. "I think you're good."

"Cool. I'll bring your wine." He turns his head back to Hot Bridesmaid as Marley leaves, only to find she's gone, as is Gelled Hair.

Annoyed, he orders another white wine as he scans the room, immediately spotting Gelled Hair talking to another bridesmaid, a heavy set African American girl near the dance floor and he scans the area around them figuring she's nearby but she's nowhere to be found.

Dejected, he heads back to the table, carefully carrying the two glasses of wine and his beer while keeping an eye out for Hot Bridesmaid. He's just handing Kurt and Marley their wine when someone slaps him on the back of the head.

"Hudson! You finally got your fat ass here!" Puck cries once Finn turns. "Where's your hot date?"

"That would be me," Kurt announces with a snicker as he holds out his hand. "I'm Kurt."

"No shit? I thought only the math department was team gay," Puck replies, looking at Finn.

"Kurt's my brother," Finn explains hastily, not needing this rumor to follow him back to school. "So where's the bride?"

"She's in the can." He nods in the direction of what Finn knows is the bridal suite. "Why didn't you ask that hot Spanish teacher?"

He shrugs. "Holly's cool but..."

"Maybe you _should_ be in the math department," Puck comments, his eyebrow raised.

"Dude! I'm not gay!" he hisses. "I just didn't have time to find a date."

"How do you not have time? You're single, sex should be your top priority." He grins at the thought. "I plan on keeping the whole hotel up with the noise coming from my room tonight."

He shakes his head. "I can't believe someone married you. How much did you pay her?"

"Fuck off. I, unlike you, actually attract women," he boasts, nodding towards the dance floor. "Q's back fom the can and calling me out onto the dance floor. She probably wants to dry hump me."

"Yeah I'm su..." He trails off as he follows Puck's gaze onto the dance floor, since Hot Bridesmaid has materialized out of nowhere and is dancing with the bride. She's laughing as she dances and he can't help but stare at the way her whole face lights up when she laughs.

"Huh? What the fuck you talking about?" Puck demands, still staring out at the dance floor.

"Oh. Uh...Quinn wanting to dry hump you," he stammers, his face flushed as he continues to watch Hot Bridesmaid dance. "So who's-"

"You think she doesn't?" He tears his gaze from Quinn to stare at Finn accusingly as he gestures to his body. "She was all over this in the limo."

"Whatever." He sneaks a peek at the dance floor, noticing that Kurt is now on the dance floor with Marley and conveniently dancing right near Hot Bridesmaid, who now has a slight frown on her face. For a split second, he actually considers going out there until he remembers that he and dance floors don't exactly get along.

Puck certainly doesn't have that problem since he's dancing his way out to Quinn, leaving Finn to stand alone on the side and happily watch Hot Bridesmaid. He's so focused on making it appear that he's _not_ watching her that he fails to notice Kurt and Marley whispering.

Marley comes dancing over to him after a moment. "Come on Finn."

"Yeah, no." He shakes his head as the music ends. "I don't dance."

"I'll teach you," she offers over the DJ speaking. "I owe you."

"I'm good," he insists to no avail since Marley is grabbing his hand and pulling him out onto the floor.

"This is an easy one. It's the Electric Slide." She positions him in line next to Kurt and takes her place next to him, ignoring his protests. "Follow me."

She starts moving to the right and he just stands there until Kurt bumping into him forces him to move to the right also but unfortunately, Marley is now moving to the left and crashes into him.

Embarrassed, he starts moving back to the right automatically only to realize that everyone else around him is kind of clapping and leaning forward and back. Determined to get this over with he leans forward, discovering too late that everyone has now jumped and turned sideways, once again moving to their right. The fact that he's facing the wrong way means he can see that Hot Bridesmaid is diagonally behind him and he flushes, realizing how stupid he must look.

"Turn around!" Kurt hisses as he claps and starts moving to the left.

Finn hastily turns the correct way and begins moving to his right, once again crashing into Marley as she moves to the left. "Shit!"

"Clap and go forward," she murmurs, bending forward herself.

He stupidly takes that to mean _step_ forward, which immediately makes him push up against Puck's ass as he bends forward.

"Like what you feel Hudson? I knew you were math department material." He smirks, clapping and turning as Finn hastily steps back in line and makes Marley crash into him.

He ignores Puck, realizing too late that once again everyone's turned and he's facing the wrong way. This time though, it's not that bad, since the fact that he's facing the wrong way means he's actually face to face with Hot Bridesmaid. Totally forgetting about the dance, he stares as she dances to the right until Kurt crashes into him yet again.

"Seriously? You can't even handle turning in place?" Kurt whines as he continues to dance.

He glares at Kurt and turns the correct way while sneaking a peek at Hot Bridesmaid, who has this cute little smile on her face as she dances. Deciding it might be best to actually focus on the dance and not humiliate himself even more, he follows Marley, quickly realizing that if he peers over his shoulder just so, he can totally watch Hot Bridesmaid.

The dance ends with him only turning the wrong way twice more and crashing into Kurt three times so he considers it a success. Kurt doesn't seem to think so, judging from the glare he gives him as he begins to dance the next dance and neither does Puck, dancing with Quinn nearby.

"Hey! You better have gotten Hudson's horrible moves!" Puck calls out to the videographer nearby. "I'm gonna need a copy of that as soon as possible so I can show it at the next faculty meeting."

He flushes as he shuffles side to side between Marley and Kurt, noticing that Hot Bridesmaid appears to be surpressing a laugh at Puck's words. He doesn't think he's _that_ bad, especially considering that Principal Figgins is currently on the dance floor doing the Robot, but still.

"Moves like that you should be working with the geeks in the science department," Puck retorts, purposely grinding against Quinn as he smirks at Finn.

Carefully, so that Hot Bridesmaid doesn't see, he runs a hand over his hair simultaneously giving Puck the finger at the same time.

"Oooh, the salad is out!" Quinn squeals, glancing at her table. "I'm going to eat. How about you?"

She's looking at Hot Bridesmaid, who momentarily stops dancing to answer. "Is it?"

"Yes, let's go." Quinn grabs her arm and pulls her off the dance floor but not before Finn notices that she glances over her shoulder (hopefully to look at him).

Not about to stay on the dance floor a second longer than necessary, he hightails it off the dance floor in the other direction to his own table. Hot Bridesmaid is across the room at her table with another bridesmaid (no Gelled Hair in sight) and if he peers around the high centerpiece he can totally see her every move. Happy that's he's discovered this, he picks up his fork and digs into the salad, suddenly starving. He's just chewing his first forkful when Kurt plops down in the seat next to him and picks up his own fork.

"Well that couldn't have been more embarrassing," Kurt announces, spearing a piece of lettuce. "Who can't do the Electric Slide?"

"It's a hard dance!" He shoves another forkful of salad into his mouth, sneaking a glance across the room.

Kurt runs a hand across his hair. "You realize that The Electric Slide is routinely danced at 5th grade graduation dances and countless Bar Mitzvahs?"

"And do _you_ realize that your cufflinks are showing? I heard someone comment about them matching the plates when I was at the bar," Finn snipes.

Kurt pales and pulls his jacket sleeves up to cover the offending cufflinks. "At least they're commenting about someone who can do The Electric Slide."

He ignores Kurt, a frown on his face as he watches Gelled Hair take his place at the table next to her, making her laugh at whatever he'd said.

"There's some really cute guys here," Kurt whispers to him. "I see potential."

"Good for you," he grumbles, annoyed that Gelled Hair is leaning close to her.

"I'm still feeling a few out, but I've got my eye on one," Kurt announces. "He's got -"

"Yeah, that's great." He frowns, noting that she's leaning in just as close to Gelled Hair.

"We'll you could be excited for me. You know what a meet cute that would be? Especially since I'm not even supposed to be at this wedding," he reminds him.

"What the hell is a meet cute?" he snaps, annoyed that Gelled Hair made her laugh yet again (he highly doubts she's laughing at what he said since other than the insane amount of gel he uses there's _nothing_ funny about him).

"A meet cute is Hollywood for when two people who are meant to be together meet in a cute way," he recites, rolling his eyes. "But you'd know that if you actually watched _The Holiday_ with me and Carole and not whined about watching it till you fell asleep."

"That movie blows," he retorts, eyes fixed on her table and dying to know what Gelled Hair is saying to her. Annoyed, he grabs another forkful of salad and shoves it in his mouth. "Who lets a stranger go on vacation in their house when they're not there? They didn't even hide their electronics."

"Kate Winslet would not play a thief! She's a Golden Globe winner!" Kurt cries before taking a breath and pinching the bridge of his nose. "We're not having this argument again."

"Whatever. The bottom line is it's lame and you know it." He chews another forkful, pleased to notice that Gelled Hair is now listening to the bridesmaid on his other side talk, Hot Bridesmaid listening also.

"It doesn't blow! Your stupid Green Light movie blows!"

"Careful Kurt. I think arguing during the salad meal might be a wedding faux pas," Finn retorts around another mouthful of salad. "And it's Green Lantern."

Kurt stabs another forkful of salad, momentarily lacking a retort of his own. The victory makes Finn grin as he finishes his salad and secretly watches Hot Bridesmaid, currently busy eating her own salad as she stares at his side of the room.

He stares back, doubting she's staring specifically at him but just in case he turns his head slightly to discreetly run his fingers over his eyebrows and check that he has no food stuck to his face in the reflection of a spoon.

"Tell me you did not seriously just check your reflection in a tablespoon?" Kurt hisses. "Where's the portable compact I got you for Christmas?"

He ignores Kurt, returning his gaze to the other side of the room only to find that that fuck Gelled Hair is once again in conversation with her and again making her laugh.

"You think I should gel my hair?" He wonders aloud, incredibly curious as to what she saw in him.

Kurt snorts. "Absolutely not. You don't have a head shape that can support the gelled look."

Slightly affronted, he turns slightly to stare at Kurt. "Dude! What does that mean?"

"It means exactly what I said." He snickers. "Besides, you'd need a whole bottle just for that piece in the front."

"At least I'm not getting a bald spot," he mutters, hitting on Kurt's greatest fear.

Sure enough Kurt gasps, jumping up and immediately excusing himself from the table, presumably to check for himself.

Proud he'd won that battle, he resumes his staring, contemplating how Gelled Hair could ever have gotten someone so hot. It's totally not fair that he gets her and he's stuck here with Kurt, whose sure to be plotting revenge in the bathroom once he realized he's been tricked. In the meantime, he's free to stare as much as he wants at her, at least. But getting to talk to her?

Not happening anytime soon.

* * *

She's going to _kill _Quinn.

She's been happily conversing with Blaine at her table for the last ten minutes when the DJ makes the announcement that he needs all the single ladies to come onto the dance floor for the traditional bouquet toss. Not about to go out there and showcase her singleness, she ignores the call, continuing to talk to Blaine about the revival of _42nd Street_ coming to Broadway.

_"Rachel! Quinn says you're single and need to be on the dance floor! Where are you?"_

Horrified, she stares at Blaine, in disbelief that Quinn would have the DJ announce that. "She can't be serious."

_"Rachel! We're waiting! Where you at, girl?"_

"I think she is." Blaine squeezes her hand sympathetically.

"I'm not going out there and having everyone feel sorry for me!" she hisses.

_"Rachel! Quinn says she needs you out here! Come on!"_

"Sorry, Rachel. I think you are." He smiles. "Don't you want the bouquet?"

"I have one." She points to the bridesmaid bouquet now residing on the dais. "It's over there."

_"Come on, Rachel! You're holding us up! Where are you?"_

"She's over here!" Blaine yells out, making their half of the reception hall turn to look at them. He offers Rachel another squeeze of her hand. "Don't worry. It'll be fun."

She glares at him as she stands. "I hate you."

"You'll thank me one day."

"I doubt it." She slowly makes her way onto the dance floor as the DJ cleverly plays Beyoncé's _Single Ladies, _which only serves to make her more humiliated. Add to that the fact that she's on the dance floor with the six year old flower girl, a bunch of giggly high school girls plus Quinn's bitter cousin Georgina and her humiliation is pretty much off the charts.

"Alright ladies! Who's ready to catch that bouquet and get married next?" the DJ bellows. "On the count of three, Quinn!"

She can see Georgina gearing up to catch the bouquet next to her and not putting it past the desperate-to-be-married Georgina to tackle someone in order to get her hands on the bouquet; Rachel steps away, keeping a healthy distance between herself and Georgina.

Quinn turns and prepares to toss the bouquet over her shoulder, peeking at the last minute to make sure the bouquet is on a trajectory straight to Rachel, who barely catches it as it sails past her.

She stares at the bouquet in her hand, shocked and ignoring the glares Georgina is throwing at her. A beaming Quinn runs over, placing her arm around Rachel as the DJ comes back out on to the dance floor.

"Well look at that! Bet you're glad you came out on the dance floor now," the DJ teases into the microphone. "If I could just have you take a seat, we'll call you back in a few minutes after Noah removes the garter and we see who the lucky guy is."

She retreats to the safety of her table, glaring at a grinning Blaine. "You're so dead."

"Why? You caught the bouquet; that means you're getting married soon. You should be thrilled," Blaine teases as the _Mission Impossible_ music begins to play.

She rolls her eyes at Noah's choice of garter removal music, not putting it past him to use his teeth. "You're so funny. There's such a plethora of eligible men here."

"I've seen a few. You see the guy in the sharp navy blue suit?" Blaine asks, leaning forward. "I wanted to talk to him but Quinn's mom cornered me and I lost him."

"Well maybe you should have caught the bouquet then so you could marry him," she replies sarcastically. "I'd like someone who _likes_ the fact that I'm a woman."

"Well done, little lady." Uncle Leo's suddenly appeared at their table, making both Rachel and Blaine look up in surprise. "You catching the bouquet makes me even more excited go out there and catch the garter."

Rachel pales as he walks away, gripping Blaine's arm. "You have to go out there and catch it. You _have_ to."

"Why?" Blaine asks, not bothering to hide his amusement. "He obviously likes the fact that you're a woman."

She glares at him. "Funny. Promise me you'll go out there. _Promise_."

"Ok, ok, I'll go out there," he replies with a laugh. "I can't promise I'll catch it though. You know sports isn't my thing."

"You can't leave me to get stuck with Uncle Leo or some gross high school kid. You can't." She grips his arm tighter. "I'll die if Uncle Leo has to touch me."

He laughs again, only to have Rachel dig her nails into his arm. "Why do you assume the worst? Maybe it'll be a hot guy."

"And have his girlfriend watch and want to kill me for catching the bouquet? I don't think so." She shudders.

"So if I don't catch the garter, you get felt up by an old man or a high school kid or possibly get killed by a jealous girlfriend?" Blaine muses. "That's a lot of pressure."

"Deal with it," she snaps. "You're going up there and you're going to catch it."

She sits back, fingering the bouquet she'd caught nervously. Uncle Leo is _still_ ogling her from the next table over and just the thought of him sliding a garter on her leg makes her want to throw up. If there's no eligible single men (eligible meaning her age and at least cute) at this wedding, she'll settle for her favorite gay. He's already her date, he might as well be her future husband.

After all, it's not like any one else wants the job.

* * *

Kurt's so dead.

The moment he'd heard the DJ call for all the single girls, he'd left the table and headed for the bathroom knowing it wouldn't be long before the DJ called for single men. He'd bided his time, playing a few games of Angry Birds and answering a couple of texts before he'd headed back out, pleased that he'd managed to avoid the garter toss with his kickass plan of hiding in the bathroom.

His plan didn't seem so kickass the second he'd left the bathroom, since Kurt had apparently been lying in wait nearby.

"There you are!" he chides. "I've been looking for you! They're about to toss the garter."

Damn. He thought he'd missed it. "Oh. I'm gonna go take a crap then."

"No you're not. Squeeze your cheeks because you've got to go out on the dance floor." He pushes Finn towards the dance floor just as the DJ announces that Puck's successfully pulled off the bride's garter. "I promised Carole."

"Seriously?" He stands still, glaring at Kurt. "You got Mom involved?"

"She got herself involved. We planned it out while she sewed your pants," Kurt replies, pushing him again. "Now hurry, the DJ's calling for single guys."

"I'm not going out there," he insists. "It's humiliating. It'll be me and like high school kids."

"Then you should fit right in." Kurt pushes him more. "Now go."

"Why aren't you going?" he demands, pausing at the extreme edge of the dance floor.

"I'm your emergency plus one. Wedding etiquette dictates that an emergency plus one is exempt from all humiliating wedding rituals like the garter toss," he explains, pushing him more. "Bet you're sorry you made a crack about my hair now."

Damn him.

"Go. The DJ is waiting." He gives Finn a final push, who remains in place.

"Hudson! Get your fat ass out here!" Puck cries from the middle of the dance floor. "No one's more single than you!"

He glares at Puck as he stomps onto the floor. As he'd predicted, he was surrounded by a few high school boys, one or two guys his own age, Puck's weird Uncle Leo and to his annoyance, the little guy with the gelled hair.

"Alright men! Let's see who's the next to walk the plank!" the DJ announces. "On the count of three, Puck! One, two, three!"

Of all the men on the dance floor, only Uncle Leo comes close to him in height, which means he's able to easily pluck the garter out of the air (despite Uncle Leo whacking him with his cane). He'd planned on just standing out there but his sports instinct took over and he'd automatically stuck his hand out as the garter flew through the air.

Which means the nightmare still continues. Damn his sports prowess.

He stares at the lacy blue garter in his hand, annoyed at his quick reflexes. He's bartended enough weddings over the years to know that the DJ often makes the catcher of the garter do something stupid as he puts it on the poor girl and he _refuses _to crawl on his knees or wear a blindfold (especially since he wouldn't put it past Puck to make him put it on a guy or something).

"We've got our next groom, where's our next bride?" the DJ asks the room at large.

Finn gulps, afraid to see who was coming out on the dance floor, a large part of him very afraid that Puck's grandma or one of her old lady friends was going to come out. The DJ is looking to his left and tentatively he does too, fully expecting the worst.

Holy shit. It's _her_.

* * *

It's _him_.

She'd been expecting the worst like Uncle Leo or a gross high school kid but it's not. It's _him_, the guy she'd chickened out on talking to earlier. The one whose smile did funny things to her stomach and the same guy who danced so horribly it was adorable.

It's also the same guy she'd seen getting a drink for his girlfriend and watched said girlfriend clean him off, which was the reason she'd chickened out in the first place. She'd been just about to leave her end of the bar and go talk to him when that brunette had sidled up to him and put her hand on his arm, making her stop in her tracks.

Quinn had come over to her just then, letting Rachel know that she needed to fulfill her bridesmaid duty and hold Quinn's dress while she peed. Ever the perfect bridesmaid, she'd followed her to the bathroom and dutifully held up Quinn's dress, her mind busy trying to figure out the relationship between that cute guy and that girl as Quinn peed.

_"Hold it up higher," Quinn directed as she sat. "Are you having fun?"_

_"Mmmhmm," Rachel agreed, holding her dress and many underskirts up higher. The thought crossed her mind that neither the cute guy nor the brunette went through the receiving line which means they just might be wedding crashers and she'd be perfectly justified in kicking the brunette out. "So who's the tall g-"_

_"I cannot believe what some of Puck's family is wearing," Quinn moaned. "They look awful."_

_"They do," Rachel agreed again, determined to get answers. "So what can you tell me about-"_

_"I'm done and getting up," Quinn announced. "Hold my dress up till we're out of the bathroom."_

_She obliged, waiting patiently as Quinn finished and washed her hands. "So you think you have any wedding crashers here?"_

_"Of course not. We're the only wedding here." She dried her hands on a towel._

_"Oh." She paused, digesting this new information. "Do you know who the ta-"_

_"Are you holding the underskirts up too? I hope the bustle stays in place," Quinn cut in, twisting slightly to see what exactly Rachel was holding._

_"I got it all." Slightly annoyed that she can't get an answer out of Quinn, she follows her back out into the reception room, dropping Quinn's dress the moment she gets the ok and opting to go out on the dance floor with Quinn since she sees Uncle Leo winking at her from his table._

_Noah comes out on the dance floor a few minutes later and she's excited to see the cute bar guy come out on the dance floor until she realizes that he's being led by that damn brunette. Resigned to simply watching him from afar (and possibly to check out her competition up close), she positioned herself behind them just as The Electric Slide started._

_He's absolutely horrible, crashing into everyone and frequently turning the wrong way, but she finds it so, so adorable. The one time he's turned the wrong way and facing her, she can't help but stare at him. She actually almost opened her mouth to say something, since he was just standing there all confused (his stupid girlfriend certainly wasn't helping him), but the guy in the navy suit next to him crashed into him before she could._

_The (super cute) confused look he'd sported, combined with the way his tongue stuck out of the corner of his mouth as he concentrated for the rest of the dance made her smile as she finished the dance and she'd been slightly annoyed when Quinn dragged her off to eat, especially considering that they weren't even at the same table._

_Pouting, she sat alone at her table, spearing her salad as she peered around the room, trying to figure out where he was sitting. Obviously, he wasn't on Quinn's side of the room, so she craned her neck, stretching her neck around the floral centerpiece. The high centerpieces on the tables had seemed like a great idea at the florist but now that she was on a mission to find him, she was cursing the fact that she'd convinced Quinn to get them._

_She finally spots him on the other side of the room, the brunette annoyingly next to him. Pleased to see that he appears to be talking to the guy sitting next to him, she smiles at Blaine as he sits next to her. "Where were you?"_

_"Talking to Mercedes. You know I don't do cheesy group dances." He leans in close. "Guess what I heard?"_

_"What?" She sneaks a peek at the other side of the room just to make sure the Brunette is keeping her hands to herself._

_"Guess who already got lucky in the bridal suite?"_

_She laughs. "No way."_

_He nods, grinning as she leans closer. "It's true. Puck got serviced. Heard it from Mercedes."_

_"Why does that not surprise me?" She laughs again as Blaine launches into some story, which only serves to make her laugh harder in between secret looks across the room._

She's still in shock as she stands still on the side of the dance floor since part of her had expected Noah to pull some last minute prank and stick her with an old man so all things considered, this is a welcome development.

A _very_ welcome development.

The DJ's dragging a chair out to the center of the dance floor but she remains rooted to the spot, sneaking glances at the man she'd been watching all night. Fortunately, Quinn's there to help things along, grabbing Rachel's hand and plopping her down on the chair. A smile blooms on her face as they pose for a commemorative picture with Quinn and Noah, the bouquet clenched firmly in her hand as the DJ waits for the photographer to finish.

_"Our single bridesmaid is waiting for her groom! Let's get him in place!" _

Her eyes follow him as the DJ gestures towards her while simultaneously gesturing to his partner to cue the music. The super cute man slowly kneels in front of her as _Let's Get It On_ begins to play and her cheeks pink at the suggestive lyrics.

_"Come on, let's see that leg!"_

"Lift up your dress, Rachel!" Quinn exclaims excitedly from next to her chair.

"Don't be a prude, Rachel. Someone actually wants to see what you've got, so stop staring and show some skin," Noah directs from her other side. "Let's see what's under those old lady clothes."

Startled at being caught staring (and annoyed at the insult), Rachel quickly lifts her dress enough to expose her leg, raising it to help him. He glances up at her for a moment, his gaze intense before he stretches the garter over her shoe and she blushes even more as she watches him slide the garter up her leg, his hands ghosting over her skin and leaving a blazing trail in their wake. He seems to be just as embarrassed, not quite meeting her gaze as he puts the garter in place and stands back up. Relieved that the mortification is over, she accepts the hand he's holding out to help her stand.

_"Alright, alright! Let's hear it for our new couple! How about we have them join our bride and groom in a special dance?"_

Noah immediately pulls Quinn to him, leaving Rachel staring shyly at the (super cute) man who'd just slid a lacy garter on her leg.

"Yo! It helps if you're less than five feet apart," Noah calls over with a smirk. "I know it's been a while for you but seriously, dude. Make a move."

He rubs the back of his neck for a second before holding his hand out. "Uh, want to dance?"

She smiles, accepting the hand he's holding out and letting him pulling her closer as the sounds of Shania Twain's _From This Moment_ starts playing.

**_From this moment, life has begun  
_****_From this moment, you are the one_**

"Um, I'm Finn by the way." He places his hand on her waist. "Finn Hudson."

"Rachel Berry." She smiles as she stares up at him, placing her hand on his shoulder and immediately noticing how broad he is under her hand. "Bridesmaid."

**_Right beside you, is where I belong  
_****_From this moment on_**

She's mortified she added the word _bridesmaid _since he obviously knows that, given the fact that she's wearing the same dress as four other girls. To her relief, he simply smiles as they sway slowly in place.

**_And for your love I'd give my last breath  
From this moment on_**

"So uh, how do you know Quinn and Puck?" he asks, the smile still on his face.

"I've known Quinn since high school." She stares up at him, attempting to figure out the exact color of his eyes. "You?"

**_I give my hand to you with all my heart_**  
**_Can't wait to live my life with you, can't wait to start_**

"I work with Puck," he explains. "I'm a teacher."

"You teach gym too?" She shakes her head. "Does he curse as much in school as he does out of it?"

"I'm not a gym teacher. I teach music." He grins. "But he does curse a lot in the faculty room."

**_You and I will never be apart_**  
**_My dreams came true because of you_**

Her eyes light up. He teaches music. _Music_. "I'm a vocal coach."

"Are you? That's pretty awesome." He stares at her, his eyes boring into her in such a way that makes her bite her lip. "So I guess I put a garter on the leg of a singer?"

**_From this moment as long as I live_**  
**_I will love you, I promise you this_**

She blushes. "You did. That would be why I sang at the ceremony, you know."

"Oh. I uh, missed the ceremony." It's his turn to blush, making her wonder why he missed it.

"That's too bad. I was good." She nods firmly. "Shame you had to miss it."

_**There is nothing I wouldn't give**_  
_**From this moment on**_

He winces as he steps on her foot. "Shit. Sorry."

She smiles, even though she's wondering if she has a broken toe. "It's ok."

**_You're the reason I believe in love_**  
**_And you're the answer to my prayers from up above_**

"You can say it. I suck at dancing," he explains, his tone apologetic.

A giggle escapes her lips. "The Electric Slide did kick your butt."

"It's a hard dance!" he defends again.

"It really is," she agrees between giggles, remembering how adorable he'd looked.

**_All we need is just the two of us_**  
**_My dreams came true because of you_**

"So we agree then." He gives her this kind of half smile that makes her heart melt just then and she practically has to restrain herself from jumping him.

"We do. Quinn really should have had the Limbo played, it's much more considerate. I'm good at the limbo since I'm so flexible," she babbles, realizing too late how that sounded (although the thought does immediately cross her mind that she'd _really_ like to prove how flexible she is).

He's clearly picked up on her unintended innuendo since his eyebrow shoots up and she blushes (he also steps on her foot again but she's not sure if that's also a reaction or just his crappy dancing. She hopes it's from her innuendo though).

**_From this moment as long as I live_**  
**_I will love you, I promise you this_**

"Good to know. You'll have to show me." It's his turn to blush furiously. "I...I mean your limbo skills, not...I mean not that I would mind...but I...I'm going to shut up now."

She giggles, relieved he's just as embarrassed and wondering if he could get any cuter. "I know what you mean."

He's silent for a minute as they sway, leaving her to wonder if the fact that he'd pulled her closer was a subtle indicator that he was interested in her or if it was just accidental.

**_There is nothing I wouldn't give_**  
**_From this moment_**

"I'm glad you caught the garter," she blurts out, suddenly needing to break the silence since he's looking down at her with the most adorable expression. "I thought it was going to be Noah's Uncle Leo."

"Disappointed?" he quips, glancing down at her with a look she can't quite place but still finds super adorable.

"Not at all," she flirts, wincing as he steps on her foot yet again. "Although he is quite the dancer."

"That right? He's right over there giving me death glares, I can go get him," Finn offers with an impish grin. "I mean, if you'd rather dance with him."

"No!" she cries, louder than intended. The hand on his shoulder moves closer to his neck. "I...I mean, you caught the garter which means we're supposed to get married so we should probably practice our dancing. Uncle Leo will just have to find someone else."

"I don't know, he seemed pretty determined to get that garter," he teases. "Seems to me like he wants to dance with you."

She grips the material of his shirt. "Too late. You caught it."

"He whacked me with his cane trying to get the garter, so you probably owe me," he replies with a smile as they sway. "You know, since I have bruised shins now."

Her mouth opens and closes for a moment and she silently curses that damn brunette since he's just given her the perfect opening for a date invite and she can't do anything about it. "Ew. Please tell me you're joking."

"Nope," he replies cheerfully. She notices that he's pulled her even closer and she smiles, enjoying the feeling. "I could put a word in with Puck if you want. You could be the next Mrs. Uncle Leo."

"I'm good." She smiles up at him, wishing she could show him how good.

**_I will love you as long as I live_**  
**_From this moment on_**

The song's ending and she's happy to see that he makes no move to release her (she's certainly not about to make the first move). "So um..."

_"Yo Hudson! Figgins wants to take a group picture for the school newsletter so get your ass over here!"_

Leave it to Noah to ruin her moment. Beyond annoyed, she glowers at Noah as Finn releases her and runs a hand through his hair. She bites her lip, already missing the warmth of his body.

"Yeah, uh I'll be right there." He smiles back at Rachel. "Uh, so uh..."

_"What the fuck Hudson? Why are you making me wait?"_

"Noah! He's coming!" Rachel snaps, furious since she suspects Finn was intent on continuing to talk to her, Brunette be damned.

"I bet he is." Puck smirks, making them blush.

"Ass." He turns back to Rachel once more. "Uh, I need to go apparently."

"Thank you for the dance," she blurts out. "I quite enjoyed it."

She winces as the lame words come out of her mouth, mortified that she'd somehow decided to channel a _Downton Abbey_ character. Too embarrassed to look at Finn, she chooses to focus on Noah who at the moment is grabbing a bread roll off a nearby table to launch at Finn.

"Dude!" Finn cries as the roll sails onto the dance floor to hit him in the head and she can't help but giggle at the expression on his face.

"What? You expected me to miss? You know my dodgeball skills are legendary," he calls back. "Now get over here."

Sheepishly, he smiles at a still giggling Rachel. "I better get over there before he throws an ice sculpture."

"I think that might be best." She stays rooted to the spot, watching him walk off the dance floor. He turns his head slightly as he does so and she can't help but give a little wave, her smile growing wide when he waves back.

"Who is _that_ and why are you not heading to a hotel room right now?" Blaine whispers, suddenly appearing next to her.

"That's Finn. He works with Noah," she explains, busy watching Finn goof off for the camera and annoyed to see that the Brunette apparently works with Noah too (she _knew_ she should have went into Music Education. She _knew_ it). "He also has a girlfriend."

"That doesn't surprise me, he's hot. Sucks for you though since you two looked good together." He glances over at the bar, something suddenly catching his interest. "Gotta go."

She barely has time to open her mouth before Blaine hurries off in the direction of the bar. Alone once more, she waits for the perfect moment to talk to Finn but before that moment arrives, Mercedes sidles up to her and nudges her.

"Damn girl, what's with you and Justin Timberlake?" she asks, making Rachel turn in surprise.

"Huh?" She sneaks a glance back at Finn, happy to see he's actually looking at her.

"You know what I'm talking about." She crosses her arms. "Don't play dumb with me. I'm talking about you and White Boy sexing up the dance floor with all that flirting I could see you doing."

"We were not sexing up the dance floor!" she hisses, her cheeks pinking.

"I'm not saying it was a bad thing, especially since he seemed to like it judging by the way he was holding you," Mercedes clarifies. "I don't think a piece of paper could have fit between you two."

"Really?" The thought excites her until she catches a glimpse of him talking to the Brunette and reality hits. "Not that it matters, he has a girlfriend."

"And yet he's walking this way," Mercedes muses, making no move to leave even as Rachel discreetly shoves her. Glad her own single days are behind her, she watches in amusement as Rachel pastes a smile on her face and brushes imaginary dirt off her dress. "Doesn't seem like he has a girlfriend to me."

"He does." The smile disappears from Rachel's face as she watches Finn get waylaid by a large manly looking woman dragging him over to the bar, where his coworkers have all assembled for a celebratory round of shots.

"Her?" Mercedes demands incredulously. "I find that hard to believe."

"Not her. _Her_." She nods towards the Brunette, her voice bitter.

"Oh." She studies them for a moment, her voice doubtful. "Are you sure? Because it doesn't seem like it to me."

"Let's go dance," she barks, annoyed to see the Brunette still standing near him. Mercedes protests, saying Rachel should be at the bar too, but Rachel ignores her, pulling her further out onto the dance floor.

It's not until she's dancing to _Cotton Eyed Joe_ with more enthusiasm than normal that Mercedes' words sink in and hope begins to swell. She watches them intently, trying to determine if Mercedes is right, that he's not dating her and may possibly be single.

The Brunette seems to be talking to another man a lot, which makes her even more hopeful but all hope is dashed later when she sees Finn slow dancing with her. She's forced to watch from the sidelines as they dance since Blaine is nowhere to be found which means she can't do up close reconnaissance on the dance floor.

Great.

Blaine's abandonment means she's forced to stay at her table like a loser for slow dances, warding off the persistent advances of Uncle Leo and Quinn's creepy cousin John, who evidently thought their disastrous date was a success.

Sick of men in general now, she's only too glad to fulfill her bridesmaid duties and help Quinn in the bathroom for the rest of the night. Apparently, Quinn's had quite a lot to drink which means she's spending quite a bit of time holding up her voluminous dress while Quinn pees and proclaims her the perfect bridesmaid, which just makes her sigh and long for the day when she's the one on the toilet and Quinn's holding her dress up. But she may as well give up that idea since with her extreme lack of prospects it's not like she's ever going to be a bride, anyway.

Even if she did catch the bouquet.

* * *

The wedding's over.

It's over and he didn't get to dance with her or even talk with her again.

It certainly wasn't from lack of trying on his part but every time he spied an opening and went to make a move, something got in the way. Three times he'd seen Rachel disappear with Quinn towards the bridal suite, a look of annoyance on her face while other times he'd gotten waylaid by various people he works with, even having to slow dance with Marley and then Principal Figgins' wife, both of whom had watched him kill Rachel's toes and were now determined to teach him to slow dance. As a result he'd spent much more time on the dance floor than he'd cared for and not enough time Rachel hunting.

He'd also had a run in with the wedding cake and he's not sure but he thinks Quinn would have killed him if he really had knocked it over (All Puck's fault. His dodgeball skills may be legendary but he sucks at throwing wrapped party favors since he had to dive for it, making him hit the cake table. The favor totally bounced off his hand and narrowly missed the rocking cake).

He couldn't even ask Kurt about why the bride would need to be going in the bridal suite so much and why she'd need Rachel to go with her since he'd mysteriously disappeared after dinner was served.

Which is why he finds himself being herded outside the catering hall once the reception is over looking for Kurt and discreetly looking for Rachel (although to be honest, he's not totally upset about being pushed out since it means Will or Sam can't guilt him into helping to clean up).

He's just dialing Kurt's cell phone yet again when Kurt materializes out of nowhere next to him, his hair slightly messed. "Dude! Where have you been?"

"That's for me to know and you not to find out." He adjusts his slightly rumpled suit. "Why hasn't the Valet brought our car around? I'm waiting."

"And so are nine hundred other people," he snaps sarcastically, his eyes doing a scan for Rachel.

"I'm just saying. There should really be a better system. Maybe you should bring it up to Will at the next employee meeting," Kurt decides.

"I'll be sure to tell him he needs to hire more valets because you had to wait." He rolls his eyes, momentarily pausing his Rachel hunting.

"That's all I ask." He adjusts his suit once more. "It's about time you understand that."

"Seriously, shut up." He spies her waiting for her car and manages to use his size to his advantage, maneuvering his way through the crowd to stand right next to her.

She glances up at him from under her lashes, a smile on her face that makes his heart beat faster and causes him to stand there stupidly.

"So uh, it was a good wedding," he finally ventures.

She smiles. "It really was."

"That's an awesome dress," he rambles, hoping neither of their cars come. "I didn't get to tell you before but um...you um...look really pretty."

She flushes, the smile still on her face. "Thank you. I like your suit."

"Uh thanks. My mom and brother picked it out because the pinstripes are a subtle accent against my skin or something." He shrugs. "Apparently I can pull off pinstripes but I think I look like a mobster."

"I like them." Her cheeks pink more and she giggles. "The pinstripes look good."

"Uh, you did a kickass job being a bridesmaid." He glances down at her, admiring her in her dress again. "I mean, not that I've ever been a bridesmaid but from what I saw, you kicked ass."

A few more giggles escape her mouth. "I'm glad you think so."

"Bet you're sad you're done being a bridesmaid. I mean, since you're so good at it," he stammers.

She shakes her head no. "Not really."

"No?" He stares in surprise. "How come?"

"I get to do it all again next week," she explains. "My cousin Sara's having her wedding here next Saturday night."

He's glad his eyebrows are attached to his head because otherwise they'd shoot off his face in surprise. Rachel, the hottest bridesmaid here just revealed that she'll be back at The Belvedere again in the same role next Saturday. Here. Where he works.

And he's off.

* * *

**_A/N: Uncle Leo just makes me laugh._**


End file.
